► First pics of new Audi A5 Sportback
► New S5 Sportback shown too
► Full gallery, specs, details
As sure as night follows day, the new, slightly swoopier Audi A5 Sportback has followed the latest A5 coupe, A4 saloon and A4 Avant to market.
These first official photographs reveal both the cooking A5 and sportier A5 Sportback newcomers ahead of their full debut at the 2016 Paris motor show.
So it’s a four-door A5 Coupe?
Yep. Audi is certainly guilty of splintering its product range into a very multi-faceted array of niches. First of all the four-door A4 saloon spawned the two-door A5 coupe. And then seven years ago, they slung two doors back on again to make the A5 Sportback.
Still with us?
But then, there’s no accounting for taste – and many buyers do find the slinkier profile of the A5 Sportback, and its handy conventional tailgate anad 480-litre boot, appealing.
The wave line running the length of the Sportback’s waist is a clever link to the original A5’s slink. This one’s bigger, unsurprisingly, and now boasts 17mm more shoulder room and 24mm more rear legroom.
What’s new?
It’s quite predictable, frankly. Everything you see on the A4 range, you’ll find here. Which is to say, it’s an absolute techfest, with clever bulk-saving trimming 85kg from the kerb weight, an array of gadgetry hitherto unseen in this segment and some top-drawer build quality.
Audi has sprinkled the latest enginges across the range, with power rising by up to 17% while appetite for fuel drops by 22%. Low rolling resistance tyres trim CO2 emissions, by 2.8g/km according to Audi.
Inside, there’s the usual Virtual Cockpit digital instrument pack – available only on higher-spec models or as an option – a head-up display and high-res 1024px-wide 8.3in widescreen display.
Engines, specs
Two TFSI petrol and three TDI diesel engines are available:
- 2.0 TFSI 190ps, 236lb ft (other figures not yet published)
- 2.0 TFSI 252ps, 273lb ft, 0-62mph 6.0sec, 155mph, 47.8mpg, 136g/km CO2
- 2.0 TDI 190ps, 295lb ft, 0-62mph 7.4sec, 146mph, 67.3mpg, 109g/km CO2
- 3.0 TDI 218ps, 295lb ft, 0-62mph, 61.4mpg, 119g/km CO2
- 3.0 TDI 286ps, 457lb ft (other figures not yet published)
All are offered with one of the following transmissions: a six-speed manual, seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic auto or a conventional eight-speed Tiptronic auto.
And the new Audi S5 Sportback?
Same as the coupe, obviously. Which is to say it’s rather rapid:
- 3.0 V6 TFSI 354ps, 369lb ft, 0-62mph 4.7sec, 155mph
The S5, blue car pictured below, has Quattro all-wheel drive as standard and the eight-speed auto ‘box. On the Continent, it has been priced at €62,500, equivalent to £52,500.
The new Audi A5 Sportback will be one of the highlights of the Audi stand at the 2016 Paris motor show.
Click here for more of our coverage from this autumn’s biggest car expo